Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-02-04
Burnt by Their owr Fire.

At the Battle OF Pine Bluff, Ark, Oct.
Is, 1863, the Union forces included por-
ton OF the First Indiana Cavalry, volunteers.
l was member Of that regiment. We
gained the victory, although the enemy
outnumbered US ten to one.
From that statement l do not wish any
one to infer I think there were no brave,
good-fghting men among the Confeder-
ates. II there had been no such men
among them. it would not have taken four
years for ia to gain the victory. While
there were many things against us, kind
Providence was certainly on our side and
We were thus successful.
The night before the battle was dark and
gloomy. We were expecting fight. Our
artillery was guarded and our signal guns
loaded. Colonel Clayton, of our regiment,
was in command.
At eight o. clock we were attacked. The
pickets gave the alarm and an attempt to
fire the signal gun made with failure. It
was brass howitzer; some one had, dur
ing the night. withdrawn the load and it re-
fused to go off.
But we resisted the attack from behind
breastworls made of cotton bales which we
had placed in formidable shape across each
street, and they made capital intrench-
ments.
The enemy fought desperately, coming
up SO close to the cotton bales we could see
the color of their eyes. They would then
fire into us and we would rise and return
their salute while they were running SO fast
their coat-tails would stand straight out
behind them.
There were cannon in front of US. can
non to the left of us, cannon to the right
of us, and the Arkansas River on the
north of us, running east and west, SO you
gao there wac no W0v Of pScana
The battle ragged until about four o'clock
p. M, and the wind was blowing from the
west, like some of our Kansas winds, SO
they concluded to burn US out, as they
could not whip us out. The buildings
were very close together, so they set the
buildings on fire west of US. The way the
wind was coming it did not take it long to
get under Roadway. The black smoke
curled up in waves. 1t looked gloomy and
lonesome for awhile, and still on it came,
getting closer and closer until the wind was
blowing o regular hurricane. The fire
came as near as the third building to us,
breastworks, and quick rs thought the wind
ceased blowing from the west; it was still
rs death for about four minutes, and then
the wind started from the east blowing the
fire from us.
This seemed to scare the Confederates,
for they lit out Immediately. We chased
them until dirk. 1t was the change in the
course of the wind that gained us the day.
1t was proyidential.
think there were about three hundred
Confed arates killed and wounded alto
gether, and about one hundred of our boys.
A short time after this was one of q
scouting party of Thirty who were sent out
to see what we could find. 1t was on the
third day as we were returning, when we
were within ten miles of camp, when l,
with two or three others Of the boys. con-
cluded we would 60 up to farmhouse
and get something to eat.
We did SO, and soon spied q smoke
house. in which we found some good large
hams. We ea b helped ourselves to two OF
them, and, returning to our horses, tied
! them together and threw them across our
saddles. =,
ing laundering noises behind us, we found
We were pursued by ABOUT three hundred
Confederates, at full speed.
Won should have seen us fly! After we
hal run about IN lie my horse jumped
ditch. coming down hard OH the other side.
The string broke and away went the meat.
Providence wasn't looking after meat that
day, evidently. , ao, =,
the southern part of Arkansas in 1882; and
/ saw great many ex- Confederate soldiers;
We talked over our war experiences, ana
had good time. The Confederate solalefs
were fighting for what they thought. rlsht,
the Union soldiers were hghilpg 1ol wha'
thew thou ht right, but now the war is over.
W. W. are ali Americans, North and South;
united We stand.-A. D. 0rrick, i" Chicago
Ledger. ....
p.rsonal Experience at Gettysburg.
june 30. 1858, after hard days march,